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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23844841">The One With The Kindness The Others Couldn't Match - Dick Arc</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceofEnder/pseuds/AceofEnder'>AceofEnder</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The One With The Kindness The Others Couldn't Match [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Brotherly Bonding, I'm Bad At Summaries</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:08:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>899</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23844841</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceofEnder/pseuds/AceofEnder</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick Grayson was the stable one, he was the happy one, he was the strong one.  Or was he?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tim Drake &amp; Dick Grayson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The One With The Kindness The Others Couldn't Match [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718176</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The One With The Kindness The Others Couldn't Match - Dick Arc</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey Timmy” “Hey Dami” “Hi Jaybird” “Cass hug meee” “Steph who can eat more waffles?” and so on were various greetings Dick had rambled out excitedly that morning, a grin on his face, jumping on all the furniture he wasn’t supposed to crash onto, as usual.</p><p> “Master Dick, please, we have already had to replace two chandeliers and three chairs this week.” Alfred sighed and walked into the Manor’s kitchen to make breakfast for all the rowdy children before they came downstairs.  “Sorry Alfred I’ll be more careful. Maybe.” He joked before going upstairs to check on everyone, popping into their youngest brother’s room. “Baby bird wake up!” He grinned shaking the small angry child.  “Grayson get out of my room; I was already awake” Damian hissed at him before covering himself with his blanket like the edgy little bat that he is.  </p><p>Dick chuckled and walked off to Jason’s room before discovering he was already downstairs. He poked his head into the room Cass and Stephanie shared, not for a lack of rooms just because they were close, Cass relied on Steph’s outgoing nature to save her when she couldn’t communicate on her own.  Both girls immediately shooed him away “Stephie I just wanna be one of the girls!” Dick laughed out before Cass started pushing him out of the room shaking her head playfully, locking the door behind him.  </p><p>He burst into Tim’s room about to speak before seeing Tim was sitting on his bed typing on his laptop.  “Timmy whatcha doing?” “Just listening to music why?” Tim unplugged his headphones and closed his laptop.  “Oh okay! Alfred’s making breakfast come on down okay?” He smiled slightly and nodded at Dick, following him as he walked down to the kitchen, only to see a ton of loud rowdy children who don’t know what patience is.  “Why. Why would you wake any of them before he was done cooking?” Tim groaned and mumbled in Dick’s direction.  He grinned at Tim and shrugged before sitting down.</p><p> He did this everyday without fail, always making sure everyone was awake, that they all ate, that they all got proper care. Tim started to see his smiles seem slightly forced, his excited tone covering up the scratches in his words, the energy he needed too keep himself from staying in bed all day.  He noticed because he knew what it felt like to fake it for the crowd, but he knew Dick would never open up about it unless he had a good enough reason.  </p><p>Until he landed himself in the cave laying on a stretcher with Alfred tending to the wounds covering his body, his suit covered in holes and tears with red stains upon it’s worn fabric.  After Alfred left, telling him to get some sleep, Tim walked over to his resting brother and started to whisper.  “You know, that was really dumb, if you weren’t feeling okay, if you were falling apart you shouldn’t have gone.”  Dick opened his eyes turning to his younger brother and smiled “Don’t worry about me Timmers I’m alright, there’s no reason for me to stop working.”  </p><p>“That’s not true. You fake so many smiles and bite back so many words. You’re hurt Dick. Stop pretending to be okay.” Tim’s soft words echoing off the cave walls and ringing back sadly into his ears.  “Hey, it was one failed mission. I’m sorry Timmy I’ll do better next time but you don’t need to worry my head just wasn’t in the game that’s al-“ He was cut off with a quick “Do you not understand what you did Dick? You could’ve gotten yourself killed!” Tim snapped in a whisper at his eldest brother. “I’m not angry about the mission, I’m not worried you won’t be able to work well. I’m concerned that you aren’t taking care of yourself Dick. I know what I feels like to fake that smile and it’s awful. Talk to me, please.”  </p><p>His face fell at the scared tone coming from his sibling.  “I. Okay. I’m sorry for worrying you. I’m really tired Timmy, there’s so many cases and with Bruce breathing down my neck it’s just so painful the past couple days.” He spoke quietly and leaned his head on Tim’s shoulder, before Tim hugged him.  </p><p>“Hey, it’s okay I’m here for you. You need rest Dick. I know you may not like it but it’s okay to step back and take a break when necessary. We’ll help with your cases and Bruce can fuck right off.” Tim muttered, Dick looked up startled at hearing his soft little brother curse, about Bruce no less.</p><p> He smiled at Tim nodding a bit before laying back down before ruffling his younger sibling’s hair and chuckling softly after Tim went upstairs to get him a drink “Jesus, kid’s smarter than me. I couldn’t be prouder of him.”  Unbeknownst to him Tim was only a step up the stairs when he spoke, smiling at his older brother.  Dick covered his face with a hand over his eyes before whispering to himself, thinking about his parents telling him family wasn’t just who you were born to, using all the performers at Haly’s Circus as an example that they were his family too, even if he didn’t understand what she meant. “I guess you were right mom, family really is who you choose to walk with.”</p>
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